It is disheartening to see the phenomenon of hate embraced by so many people who don't understand the origin, meaning, or impact. To grasp the significance, you must first understand what it means. It is an intense, deep-seated emotional response of strong dislike,...
MAJOR BEN’S ARTICLES
Below is a list of articles by Major Ben Brooks that have appeared in the Times Herald.
Daddy, What Time Will You Be Home Tonight?
Every family member asks this question daily. I wonder how many leaders realize the gravity of that question for their officers. When they get up in the morning, they have quiet time with their family before embarking on, hopefully, another routine day at the office....
Leaks
A leak is an unintended hole, crack, or fault that allows a substance- such as a liquid, gas, or light- to escape or enter a container or system. As a child growing up in the rural South, I watched my father build his own home. At that time, he installed a tin roof....
Masks and Officer Safety
As a career law enforcement officer, I am perplexed by the recent debate over officers wearing masks. Everything I learned about law enforcement involved honesty, integrity, and, most of all, transparency. The federal government has a duty to present law enforcement...
Bias Understood
As an international speaker, trainer, and consultant, I have been intrigued by the lack of understanding of various terms, with people using them without knowing their meanings or applications. At one of my National Speakers Association conferences, a presenter shared...
Fear and Bias as a Law Enforcement Blind Spot
Fear – an unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger real or imagined. Origin - past experiences (0-6) History - nomadic days (fight or flight) Survival function - to protect us, triggered by a significant event, i.e., hot, cold, wet, trauma Source: New...
DEI America’s Biggest Blind Spot
In 2016, I took a course with AARP in defensive driving. Having been driving since I was sixteen, I was curious about what the instructor could teach me. I signed up for the course to get a discount on my car insurance. As the instructor went through his orientation,...
DEI, The Latest Bogeyman
DEI is the latest catchphrase that is the catalyst for the present state of the divided states of America. We raise and salute the flag as we recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America. As patriotic as that sounds, it is far from our day-to-day...
The Reality of Community Policing
Many police executives approached community-oriented policing with a great deal of skepticism because they didn’t realize the critical role that the community plays in their success. Many felt they could do it on their own. Dr. Lee Brown, a former police commissioner...
A Practical Approach to Addressing School Shootings
After Columbine, over four hundred school shootings were reported in America. Every citizen should be outraged that our society has allowed that to happen. Schools should be the safest place in our community for our students, staff, and teachers. It is challenging to...
Retributive Leadership
By Major Ben Brooks
John Maxwell, leadership expert and author says, if you are leading and no one is following you, you’re just going for a walk. I have studied leaders throughout my career and found that true leaders have a positive attitude, high integrity, and great empathy.
In assessing leaders, I am impressed by their ability to attract a positive following. It is a following that engenders personal development and progressive thinking.
Witnessing leaders who possess a staunch retributive mindset, they seem to possess a lack of self-esteem, and self-assuredness, bordering on leadership paranoia. When I was a leader with the Pennsylvania State Police, I valued the opportunity to serve in that position. It was important to have a positive attitude, a feeling of self-worth, and a never-ending empathic mindset. Many instances challenged my very being, particularly, as the first African-American promoted to the rank of Captain. at the same time being assigned as a Troop Commander, overseeing three counties.
Before my ascension as a Captain/Troop commander, I experienced behaviors that were challenging to my long-held philosophy of fairness and justice. Assuming the position of Troop Commander was a great opportunity to express my leadership capabilities. The biggest challenge was trying to let bygones be bygones.
As a corporal, I experienced one of the most challenging situations of my career. I participated as a plaintiff in the biggest racial discrimination suit in the history of the Pennsylvania State Police. I was a named plaintiff in the class action suit against the State Police. Consequently, I was called to testify on many occasions. The objection to my testimony prompted an investigation, into my activities for that day, which was conducted by my station commander. His investigation led to a recommendation of three days suspension without pay for allegedly violating state police regulations.
Through a series of injunctions filed by the plaintiff’s attorney, Harold I Goodman of the community legal services, the suspension was nullified by Judge Clifford Scott Green who was presiding over the State Police lawsuit.
The case was finally settled with a ruling from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals which affirmed Judge Green’s ruling nullifying the suspension. Even though I was victorious, there are lingering feelings of trepidation because of the process.
When I was promoted to the rank of Captain, I was assigned to Troop M Bethlehem as the commanding officer. Before my assignment, my previous station commander had been transferred to Troop M. I let it be known that I was in a retributive mindset because of his investigation.
Once I assumed command, I recognized that this position would not be beneficial to my career. As a result, I had a face-to-face meeting with my former commander who was now my subordinate.
I expressed to him a retributive mindset that I planned against him. I recognized that he took action based on his philosophy at that time, coupled with the mandate from his superiors who were averse to the lawsuit I represented. He was aware of my comments but did not feel that was my philosophy. He further advised that would be my most ardent supporter. I was humbled by his attitude and rejoiced at the opportunity to have a meaningful working relationship with him.
I recognized that my former commander’s integrity was so strong that if he had to make that same decision over again it would be consistent with his philosophy. That experience was a major turning point for me in redemptive rather than retributive leadership. I recognized the importance of leading to impact rather than destroy.